Death's Arm
by Echo-Gibbo
Summary: Ed and Al meet James Silvio Armstrong, an alchemist with amazing skill, but what is the secret he holds that ousted him from his position, his family, and his life?
1. Chapter 1

"I hate deserts..."

Edward Elric slumped down onto the hot sand. His weary eyes fell upon the ocean of sand that lay before him .Wherever he looked, the sight was the same. Golden sand as far as the eye could see. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his watch, letting it dangle from its chain.

"Sometimes I'm glad you don't work. I'm not sure I want to know how long we've been wandering in this place. Al, we any closer?"

He picked up his canteen, opened it and upended it over his expectant mouth. A single drop of water fell out and landed on his tongue. Ed cursed and threw it onto the sand. "Damn it! There isn't even any water in this air!" He paused for a second as he recalled the strange noise the canteen made as it hit the ground. Last time he checked, metal on sand didn't "clang".

Ed smirked and lay down on his back "You sunk again?"

The mound of sand in front of him rose, as the tall metal figure of his brother came into view, shielding Ed from the midday sun. Ed spat as sand fell in his mouth.

"Remind me to widen your shoes when we get near some iron." Ed chuckled. "I haven't mastered glass-to-metal attachment yet!"

"Brother, please tell us we're almost there, I can't bear another night out here, keeping the vultures off is the only thing keeping me occupied at night." said Al, as he emptied the sand from his arms

"What do you mean Al, you've got the map, I gave it to you when we left."

"No you didn't, you said I'd probably drop it!"

"OH PERFECT!"

Ed punched his open palm with his right hand, then immediately withdrew his arm "Yeeeow that's hot!! It's playing havoc with my shoulder!" He punched the sand repeatedly "We'll never make it to Diaz now!"

"Calm down, brother"

"No I won't calm down! We're stuck in this goddamn desert, and I happen to know that there's not a lot I can make with sand!"

"No, brother, I think I can hear something!"

Alphonse was right. In the distance, they could barely make out the sound of cheering. The brothers looked in the general direction of the sound, and could see a small black line on the horizon. It was getting bigger, and as it got closer, Ed began to see people on horses.

"We're saved!" Ed yelled, jumping up and down like a child on christmas "Anything that gets us out of this desert is perfect! HEY!! OVER HERE!!"

Al began to wave as well "I hope they can see us..."

Ed twitched and slowly turned his head to fce his brother "Hmmmm? What're you trying to say, Al?"

"N-nothing brother! Honest! Wait, I think they've spotted us!"

Ed looked back at the travellers. They were certainly moving, really fast. They'd be with them in a matter of seconds. Ed saw something flash among them, followed by dozens of other flashes. He looked closer, and gasped. They were bandits. Dozens of them, armed with cutlasses.

"Al, get ready. I don't think these guys have any intention of helping us..."


	2. Chapter 2

Ed clapped his hands together, wincing as his hot automail touched his palm. He moved his hand along the metal plate on his forearm, and the makeshift sword he was used to working with was ready. Just in time-the bandits were right on top of them

They stopped, just in front of the brothers, and dismounted, still holding their swords. One of them stepped forwards. He was huge, with short hair and an eye patch on his left eye. Ed shuddered at his resemblance to the Fuhrer. This had to have been their leader.

"Desert's no place for little kids..."

Ed didn't let him finish. With rage in his eyes, he jumped forward and buried the sole of his foot into the mans face. The bandit flew backwards across the sand. The rest of the thieves stood there, immobilised by this sudden display of power from the blonde midget. They looked at eachother briefly, then with a shout they started to attack.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

The voice had come from their leader, who was nursing a badly bruised nose behind them.

"Leonardo, you OK?" asked one of the bandits. The leader ignored him and looked straight at Ed.

"I saw that glow kid. And your watch. I know what you are."

Ed discreetly tried to hide his watch in his pocket. "Yeh that's right. You're looking at the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

The thieves stood there, bemused. Not quite the ovation Ed had been expecting.

"Huh?" one of the thieves uttered "Who? You or the tall guy in the armor?"

Ed sighed "...this is getting old..." he said under his breath.

He was shaken out of his stupor by booming laughter. He looked up and saw the laughing face of their leader.

"Wa-ha-ha-ha-haaa! They made this runt a State Alchemist! High command certainly isnt what it used to be! But still..."

He saw Leonardo draw his sword. "I hear you guys have more money than sense. I'm sure that watch'll be enough to get me access to that bulging account of yours. What say you give it to me without a fuss? And nobody gets hurt."

Ed looked around. The other bandits had surrounded them both, creating an arena, and cutting him off from his brother. They held their swords in cross patterns, as if to say "There's no way out. One of you has to go down, and we know it won't be our leader!"

Ed smirked. "Bring it. But when I win, how 'bout you guys give me a ride to Diaz? It's much nicer for me if I don't have to kill you all. Much less paperwork too. Though, I will if you push me..."

"Brother! No!"

Ed looked at his brother, being held back by the thieves. He winked, reassuring Al that no matter how bad things got, he wasn't about to kill anyone.

"Fine then." spat Leonardo. "The one who isn't dead surrenders the prize! My guys will happily ferry you to Diaz if you beat me. Heck, they'll give you anything you want! Right guys?"

The other bandits just laughed. Ed could tell that he idea of their leader being beaten, by a kid, no less, was ludicrous.

Leonardo raised his sword. "Of course, when I cut you down, I'll help myself to that shiny watch of yours. And I'll make sure your brother enjoys our company!"

"Cut the chatter. Let's do this!" said Ed, enraged at the idea of Al suffering because of him.

With a cry, Ed leapt forward, and brought his automail sword down hard...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

James Silvio Armstrong sat down and took out his flask. He slurped the water from it and gasped. He brushed a lock of his long, blonde hair out of his eyes, letting it hook behind his ear. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. The one strand of hair that he could never control still stood up.

A crow came to roost on his shoulder. James looked around and stroked it.

"You guys love me, don't you?" he said, as he looked up at the midday sun. "God knows I can't find anyone else to love me like you do. You guys are the closest companions I've..."

He stopped to look at his shoulder, and noticed the crow pecking at his left shoulder, its sharp beak piercing his cloak. He flinched, sighed, and raised his right hand in front of the bird. With a swish of the back of his hand, and the loud slap that followed, the bird shot off his shoulder, landing on the sandy path. It righted itself, and staggered, wondering what had just happened.

James stood up and stroked his shoulder with his right hand. He turned and faced the discombobulated crow. "I'm not a bird-feeder." he said, before turning and walking onwards along the path.

"There sure is a lot of wildlife around Diaz," he thought, and he wandered, carrying luggage on his back, and dressed in a rugged green cloak that hid most of his body. His dirty clothing did nothing to distract from his startlingly bright blonde hair that glistened in the sun, and flowed down his back.

He opened the door to a pub, and walked up to the bar. "Drink, please," he said to the barman. "Doesn't matter what; just something cold." He slumped himself onto a chair and waited as the barman poured his drink. He saw two girls looking at him, and gave them a sly wink. They turned away and giggled like excited schoolgirls.

"Your drink, sir." The barman got his attention. "Diaz Orange cocktail - that'll be 300 cenz."

"Certainly, my good man!" James replied with a beaming smile on his face, reaching into his trouser pocket with his left hand...then his other pocket...and then he brushed himself down as his expression quickly changed. The barman began to suspect something.

"Something the matter, mate?"

James couldn't believe it. He was broke. He had no money, not one measly coin. His hand found something cold and metal in the front pocket of his shirt. He sighed with relief, but then quickly realised what it was. "No," he thought. "Not for something this trivial - I promised I wouldn't use it...but dear me...that cocktail looks good...I can't, can I?"

The barman helped him make the decision. "It's 300 cenz or you're out on the street faster than you can say "I'll pay you tomorrow"! Hurry it up!!"

James sighed once more and pulled out the round metal object from his pocket and presented it to the barman. The barman winced and kept his mouth firmly shut, as he recognised the symbol of the state military hanging from the metal chain.

* * *

"James Silvio Armstrong: State Alchemist. I trust we can forget the 300 cenz now, can't we?"

"Shouldn't have done that..." James wiped his mouth as he left the bar, leaving some shocked faces behind him. He tucked his state alchemist's watch firmly away in his pocket, so that nobody could see it.

He continued to wander through the town. On his way, he saw a young boy holding small wooden figures. The boy ran up to him.

"50 cenz each, sir! All to a good cause!"

James picked up one of the figures and inspected it. It was a small, cuboid block of wood with a tribal face carved into it. Alright, but certainly not that impressive.

"You know, these would look a lot better if they weren't so angular," he said to the boy, still inspecting the block in his hand.

The boy was puzzled. "Huh? What do you mean, sir?"

"All I'm saying is some curves wouldn't go amiss. Straight cuts are fine, but this is just a bit...stiff..."

The boy felt spurned. "I spent all day carving those!! And I'm just raising money for the orphanage!! I worked my fingers to the bone; I don't need to get an art lesson from you!" he yelled.

James looked down at the boy. He smiled. "Here," he said, "let me help you out a bit"

Before the boy could say anything, there was a blinding blue flash from the stranger's hand. The boy rubbed his eyes, and when he focussed on the man's hand again, the figure had changed. And what a change! It had doubled in length, and had several runes carved into it, far more complex than anyone he knew could have done.

James leant down and handed the figure back to the boy. "Don't accept less than 500 cenz for that one."

"Yes sir! Thank you very much!" As he took the figure back from the man, he noticed that the man's hand had some sort of marking on it. It looked like a star. No - it was more like several stars, inside a circle. There was a large blank space in the middle, and the outside of the circle was surrounded by a jagged line. He thought nothing more of it, and went back to peddling his wares, wondering about the strange blonde haired man and his magic hand...

James heard something. It was a cheer of some kind. It was coming from outside the wall. He ran out of the nearest gate, and saw them: dozens of men armed with swords and mounted on horses, ready to charge at their leader's command.

"Great." he thought. "They've found another one."

As the men galloped forward, James ran as fast as he could to the nearest stable. There was to be no more bloodshed around here. He'd seen too much already. He mounted a horse and spurred it on. "Whoever those thieves have found," he thought, "James Silvio Armstrong is the best hope they have."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Brother, look out!!"

Ed turned his head sharply, catching a glimpse of the blade as it cut through the air behind his back. He jumped forward, and turned to face his opponent.

"Heh, is that all you got? You're all power, no skill! If the balance isn't right, you'll never get through! Or maybe you just can't tell how far away I am? One eye doesn't exactly lend itself to depth perception..."

"Shaddup" Leonardo said as he regained his balance. "I'm just used to fighting people a lot bigger than you..."

Ed yelled in anger and lunged at Leonardo, with his arm raised and ready to strike. He brought it down hard, and sparks flew from it as it hit the blade of Leonardo's sword. Ed went in close to his opponents face and whispered:

"I may be....sh-short...but I'll grow. You'll always be evil! And Its my job to make sure that evil people like you don't win."

Leonardo laughed as he easily held the runt at bay. "In that case, you might want to have a quick look at your arm, kid."

Ed lost his concentration as he wondered what his opponent could mean, giving Leonardo the chance he needed. He pushed his sword out hard, sending the tiny alchemist skimming across the surface of the sand.

"Cheap shot..." Ed muttered, as he brought his right arm up to check on it.

Leonardo hadn't been lying.

Something was wrong

The blade he had extended was bent and dented, and it felt like his whole forearm was bent. "This isn't supposed to happen..." Ed thought "I've fought guys way tougher than him, and my automail's never had this problem..."

Then it hit him. He was in the desert. Under the midday sun. The steel in his automail had become soft and malleable. With all the impact against another sword, it had begun to buckle. Any more hits, and he'd lose the blade, and maybe the whole arm.

He would have to chance it.

Ed made his assault, and charged at Leonardo. But just as he started, he tripped and tumbled through the air. The heat had made his leg weak too.

The bandit saw from a mile away what was going on. As Ed fell towards him, he kicked out his foot and booted the boy to the ground.

Before Ed could do anything, the bandit had pinned his steel arm under his huge boot, and had his sword at Ed's neck.

"I win, kid."

The bandits surrounding them began to whoop and cheer, as their leader was successful yet again.

Ed spat at him with all the power he could muster, hitting Leonardo on the cheek.

"Bad move kid." he said, wiping it off, as a sick smile spread across his face.

"I spose your arm isn't any use to you now..."

As he spoke, he pressed his foot down, causing the metal in Ed's automail arm to bend and buckle even further.

"It'll make a nice trophy. I think I'll take it off _before_ I kill you!"

The bandits cheered louder and began to laugh. Al tried to break through them, but there were too many of them, holding him back. He cried out for his brother, but over the noise of the cheering, Ed couldn't make it out.

Leonardo placed his word in the folds of eds right shoulder. "He's going to rip the arm out from its socket." Ed thought. "No, wait, he's got the wrong fold. He's going to take half my shoulder off!"

Ed writhed the rest of his body as the bandit took a firm hold of the hilt of his sword.

"NO!!" he screamed "WHY! DOES THIS MAKE YOU HAPPY!! What will killing me achieve!!"

Ed knew once he lost that arm, he was powerless. No alchemy, no weapon. He'd be at their mercy.

Leonardo's smile widened. "Nothing," he said "But it's fun watching bugs suffer when you rip off their wings."

Exhausted, Ed stopped his struggle. He lay there on the sand, gasping, as he saw the dark figure of Leonardo, the bandit chief, lean over him. Only the bandit's toothy grin seemed to gleam in the sunlight.

"I'm sorry...Al..." Ed said as he closed his eyes...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Ed felt no pain. He just heard screaming.

He was almost certain that it was him making the noise. The high pitched, unchained explosion of pain and suffering that had erupted from his mouth. But no, he began to realise that it wasn't him screaming.

Ed was brought to his senses as he felt something wet land on his face. It was warm..an it had a familiar scent...Blood? Yes...it was definitely blood!

Ed opened his eyes wide. The screaming was still going on. Ed tried to get up, but he was held back. He turned his head right, and saw the bandit's sword still embedded in his automail. And his opponents hands were still clutching the hilt.

But those hands weren't attached to anything.

Ed saw blood seeping from the dismembered hands. The cut that had separated them from the wrists was straight and clean. Ed looked over to Leonardo. His mouth was wide open in shock, and his one remaining eye twitched left and right, left and right, as blooded streamed from his wrists. Around him, his men were in chaos. People were running in panic, some had just broken down and cried. Others were vomiting. The smell of blood was thick in the air.

Then Ed saw him.

Through the chaos, there was one man standing perfectly still. Ed couldn't see his face. All he could see was the long blond hair, the green cloak, and the sword he held in his right hand. It was too far away to make out, but Ed could see that the blade was long, and perfectly straight. Nothing like the rugged, dented bandit's swords at all. Ed was blinded by the sunlight bouncing off it, making it seem as if the blade was made from pure crystal, with only a red stain compromising its beauty.

Ed took advantage of all the confusion, and pulled out the sword that was pinning him down. He sat bolt upright and yelled

"Al! Al! Where are you!!"

"Brother!" came the response. Ed looked over, and his heart calmed.

Al was sitting there, tied up, but alright. Ed rushed over to him and cut his ropes.

Ed sat down next to him and stared back at the mysterious figure that had saved them. Now he was facing the panicked Leonardo, and Ed could get a good view of his saviour's face. He noticed immediately the bold, blue eyes, and could see the determination on his face. There was something strangely familiar about him as well...

"Brother, who is that man?" Al asked

"I don't know." said Ed, "but I think I owe him my life..."

The commotion had died down now, and most of the bandits stood helpless as they saw the gasping figure of their leader, growing ever paler, as the sand around him became redder and redder.

The mysterious blond man, without a word, wandered over to the bandit leader. He restrained him, and grabbed the still bleeding stump of Leonardo's right arm with his right hand. A huge blue flash erupted from them both.

Al gasped "That's Alchemy!! On a human!!"

Ed was mystified. As the dust cleared, he could make out what had happened.

The bleeding had stopped, and the wound had completely healed over. It was as if he had lost his arm years ago, not minutes.

Ed gazed at the stump. "Medical Alchemy," he said. "I've heard of it, but I've never seen it done with this much skill!"

Leonardo was severely confused. He could do nothing but stutter and gasp as he wondered this man's intentions.

The man spoke. "As you were. Leave at once, and go back to the filth that you came from. If you agree to leave now, I might just fix your other arm."

Ed shuddered at the mans voice. It was said in a caring manner, but with an audacity and strength that made his hair stand on end.

Leonardo panicked. His judgement had been clouded, by a combination of the extreme pain, and by the speed at which things were happening. Finally, he grasped just enough breath to scream one phrase: "K-KILL HIM!"

It took a while for his orders to sink in. Half of his men simply turned, returned to their horses and fled as fast as they could, terrified by this merciful death-bringer.

Others fumbled with their swords, and eventually took arms and charged at the assailant that had mutilated their leader. Ed's view of the man was obscured as bandits charged at him. But not for long.

The mans sword glinted as it swung, faster than the eye could see, into the bandits. Ed heard no screaming. All he saw was the men who had foolishly chosen to stay cut to pieces.

Some men lost their heads. Comparably, they were the lucky ones. Others clutched their chests as the sword cut deep into their lungs and through their heart. Others had been fortunate not to be decapitated, and felt no pain as the blade made a clean cut across their throat, allowing them a quick death. And the rest...well it was surely the shock of what had happened that killed them. The combination of lost limbs, and confusion at their leaders defeat was too much for their minds to bear, meaning that they simply switched off, and stopped.

Only one man was left alive. Their leader.

Ed could now see a streak of blood across the mystery man's face. The man's face tensed with rage, and with the pure viciousness of a wild beast, but with the calm of a saint, he put Leonardo into submission. He was now in a position where he held his sword at the hilt upside down, with the point pressed firmly into the point just below his enemy's neck. The sword was at a slight angle. He whispered something into Leonardo's ear, that was too faint for Ed to make out. Leonardo, whimpering, pleaded with his attacker, but just 5 seconds after he had finished whispering, the assailant plunged the sword deep into the mans shoulder. Ed felt his stomach lurch as he saw the full path of the sword. It mus have gone through his shoulder and pierced his right lung, maybe even lacerating his heart. But it wouldn't have stopped there. It would have gone further in, through his diaphragm, cutting through his liver and his stomach, passing through his intestines as if they were butter, before coming to a halt as the sword hit the pelvic bone. Ed's right arm twitched as if to say "I know that kind of pain."

The man pulled his sword out, and let the corpse fall to the floor. He wiped the blood off his sword, and it gleamed in the sunlight once more.

He began to walk towards Ed and Al. Ed instinctively got up, into a fighting stance, and gave the man his hardest stare.

The man came over to him and looked him up and down, before bursting into a fit of booming laughter.

Ed felt his will to fight slowly drain. He got a good look at the mans face now, as contorted with laughter as it was. He could see the man's long golden blonde hair, as well as a small strand that stuck upright. He saw the man's blue eyes, his fair skin, and his eyelashes...the eyelashes...

"Oh brother" he said. "An Armstrong."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"How did you do that?"

Ed stared at his right arm. It was no longer bent-it wasn't even dented. It was sparkling, it looked like it was made from platinum, not iron. Even Winry never got it this clean.

"Heh, well, I have a knack for specificity. Fiddly things, tasks that require precision. I can do all that. Artistic alchemy has been passed down my family for generations!" James Silvio Armstrong finished his sentence with a flourish and a wide grin, which seemed to make his face sparkle with pride.

"Yeah, I figured". He's just like the Major, Ed thought as he bent his elbow and flexed his fingers "It works like a charm! Everything's working. I can't tell what's my real hand and which one's automail!" Ed gazed at his newly galvanised arm, with the sort of drooling bedazzlement that you reserve for something in a shop window that's beyond your budget.

"Next time I need it fixed, I know who to come to,"

"Demo is free. If you want your leg done, I'm gonna require-payment for my services"-Armstrong leaned back and made a "cough up" gesture with his right hand. He fumbled as he overbalanced and fell back off his seat.

Well deserved, Ed thought. Armstrong got up and returned to his seat, scratching his neck.

Once the bandits were out of the way, Armstrong and Ed mounted horses and Armstrong guided them to Diaz, since it wasn't too far, and it was where the boys had aimed for anyway. Once there, the party stopped for a drink. Armstrong had been particularly fussy about the pub they chose, for a reason beyond Ed's knowledge. Ed ended up paying; after the bill arrived, Armstrong gave him a look that said "Help a guy out? Just this once?"

"Umm..." said Ed, gazing at the weapon that Armstrong had lying on the table, that only an hour ago had cut down the bandits with a fury and bloodlust that Ed hadn't seen the likes of.

"Ah." said Armstrong, as he followed the direction of Ed's stare. "I suppose you're wondering how I got so skilled with my sword, huh?"

Ed could now get a good look at his weapon. It was a long, thin bladed sword, Ed had heard about its type in the eastern countries- a _katana_- that was its name. It was incredibly well crafted. The blade was perfectly shaped, with nary a bend, dent or scratch in sight. The blade was extremely sharp: it had to be to have cut through those bandits, Ed thought. Ed could see a fine diamond edge along the blade. The hilt was a work of art all of its own. It was a mix of blood red and gold, with intricate inscriptions all the way down, in an old language Ed couldn't understand. On the tip of the hilt was an emblem which seemed to be the letters J S and A on top of each-other.

"Actually..." Ed said "If you're so broke, I'm just wondering how you can afford something as grand as this..."

Ed looked up when he heard the sound of Armstrong's head hitting the table.

"Urgh..." Armstrong grumbled. "If you must know," he said, as he brought his face up to look at the brothers, with his trademark grin and a glint in his eye "I transmuted it"

Ed and Al gasped "But how?" queried Al "Where did you get the material? And its so...amazing!"

Armstrong lost his smile, and tried to avoid eye contact. "I...have my sources" he said, dismissively, as he scratched his left shoulder through his cloak.

"Well,Thanks for the drink." Ed said sarcastically, as he stood up. He offered out his left hand to Armstrong to shake. Armstrong merely glanced at it, then at Ed with a look on his face that seemed to say "Sorry, did I miss something?"

This guy talks with his face a lot, thought Ed. He pulled his hand back. Armstrong got up too, but something fell from his cloak onto the table with a clunk. Ed saw it glint out of the corner of his eye. He looked across and saw what it was, able to recognise it even as Armstrong tried to pick it up in a panic. Ed gasped as it confirmed his suspicions.

It was a watch.

A silver pocket watch.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Y-You're a state alchemist!!" Ed yelled, pointing his finger accusingly at the man across the table.

James Silvio Armstrong grabbed the watch and hid it behind his back, before adopting his trademark dazzling grin. "No I'm not" he said, with the voice of a child who knew they'd been caught.

"*sigh* Don't try and hide it, I know that watch" Ed reached into his pocket and displayed his own silver pocket watch. "I never told you my name. I'm Edward Elric, the Fullmetal-"

"The Fullmetal Midget?!?!?" Armstrong yelled as his jaw dropped and his eyes widened. Ed lashed out with his right arm, but was surprised when Armstrong aught his fist in the blink of an eye.

"I hear stories of you all the time. You're a legend, I don't think I need to tell you that..."

"No, you don't" said Ed, wrenching his arm free of Armstrong's grasp. "But what you can tell me is why you have that watch.

Armstrong sighed and picked his watch up again. Ed could see that it was aged, and dull. It had either been through a lot, or he's just had it for a long time.

"Fine, I'll tell you. I _used _to be a state alchemist."

Ed gasped "Ehhhh? Well why do you still have your watch? I thought they make you hand it in when you quit?"

"I ran away." said Armstrong, as he hung his head. "I left it all behind. My job, my family, my lineage-my father disowned me, there's no way I'm getting my hands on the estate after what happened"

"You father disowned you for running away?" asked Ed.

Armstrong continued his story, ignoring Ed's question. "All I have now is my brother's artistic alchemy, my sister's weapon skills, and this watch. I'm an alchemist gone rogue. You could say I'm a dog of the military that bit through its leash." Armstrong chuckled "Heh, that's quite good actually..."

"Well," said Ed as he stood up to leave. "Us dogs that are still tied up have work to do. Colonel Mustang's in Diaz, he asked me to report to him once I got here." Ed hung his head; the sense of doom he felt was almost visible.

"Lieutenant Colonel Sparks has moved up in the world? Now that's something I wasn't expecting to hear. Good to see he's getting on well without me." Armstrong beamed, his depression quickly forgotten.

"You know the Colonel?" asked Ed, somewhat surprised at this guy's military contacts.

"_Knew_. I _knew _him. But we haven't seen each other for years. Tell him I said Hi though."

"You could come with us and tell him yourself if you want." said Al

Armstrong scratched the back of his neck with his right hand and said "I'd...better not. It's been years. And besides, chances are he won't want to see me. Not after whats happened. But I'm sure he'll be glad to see you. We both know how warm and cuddly Sparks can be" Armstrong chuckled.

Ed turned around and walked out of the pub. He turned before reaching the doorway and called back to Armstrong.

"One last thing." he called. "What's your alchemist name?"

Armstrong closed his eyes and made a "hmph" sound. He brought his finger up to his nose, and, winking at the boys, he said "Just tell the Colonel that old Death's Arm says hello..."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Author's note

Long time coming I know. I've been having some pretty big rethinks about the character of James, so this chapter was tough to write. That and life got in the way. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

"You took your time, Fullmetal"

Mustang sat at his desk with a paper in one hand and a coffee in the other. The office he'd been given in Diaz was almost exactly like the offices he was used to in more built up areas, if a little smaller. The Amestrian Military crest hung on the wall at the back. All the windows were open, and a light breeze was blowing in, taking the edge off the heat. The Diaz division of the military was only a small building, but at least it was cool.

Roy took a sip of his coffee and spat it out immediately. "Ugh," he said in disgust "stone cold; you'd think for a desert settlement they'd know how to heat things up. He put the mug on and the newspaper on the desk, and turned to Ed, who he'd barely given any notice to.

"Now, where were we. Oh yes, your wild stone chase. Any further on that? You enjoy your desert sightseeing tour?" Mustang was trying to be stern, but he couldn't help cracking a smile. The Elrics always seemed to bring out his lighter side.

He opened his drawer as he kept talking. "I hear some thugs gave you some trouble on your way in Fullmetal, is that right? You should have told them to pick on someone their own size." He picked out a white Ignition cloth glove from the drawer with his right hand, and kept Ed's wrathful movements in response to yet another dig at his height at bay with the other.

Ed managed to calm down enough to be able to speak "Yeah, some guys armed with swords wanted money. More specifically, they wanted trouble. But no worries," Ed put his hands on his hips in a proud motion "I told them where to get off"

"Ooh, is that so," queried Roy, trying his best to look surprised, as he slipped his left hand into the glove: "Because the way I heard it..." He clicked his fingers, and a small circle of fire erupted around his coffee cup "...you got your Fullmetal rear handed to you until someone stepped in to help" He brought the coffee cup to his lips and took a sip "Ahh, much better"

Ed felt his automail twinge in the place where it had been impaled by the bandit leader's sword.

"Ehh, he helped a bit I guess. Total wacko though. He says he knew you, wanted me to pass on a message"

Mustang looked at Ed over the top of his coffee mug

"Oh yeah?" Mustang said, his mug making his voice sound hollow "What was it"

"Death's Arm says hi"

Mustang sat immobile for a minute, before bringing his coffee down from his mouth. Ed could clearly see the genuine mixture of shock and surprise on his face.

"This guy...he wasn't an Armstrong was he?"

"...yes he was, why? Do you know each-other?

Roy had a completely blank look on his face. It seemed to Ed that he was feeling anguish, but at the same time a sense of happiness.

"James Silvio Armstrong," said Roy "the Death's Arm Alchemist"

Ed stifled a giggle. "What kind of an alchemist name is that?"

"Quiet, Ed" said Roy as he got up and went to the window. "You're in no position to be making fun of people's names. But then again, we all know how the Fuhrer likes making fun of disabilities. Not exactly...what's the term...politically correct, to name you after your prosthetics."

"Disabilities?" Ed asked "And did you know this Armstrong guy?"

"Yeah" said Roy. "We fought together, in a war. I guess I don't have to tell you which one."

"Ishval...said Ed quietly.

"Yeah, that's the one. That war had a funny effect on people. So much bloodshed. The dogs of the military let loose, ordered to do one thing-exterminate. Most people hated it. Some people smiled and bore it, put on a brave face, like Hughes." Roy paused for a minute, in respect of his friend.

"Some people revelled in the bloodshed." Ed shuddered as he heard this, and Kimblee's face came to mind.

"Some were driven mad. And then there were some that tried to run away. They were shot down where they stood, alchemist or no alchemist,"

"Damn" said Ed, not sure how to respond to a war that he had no experience of "What about this Armstrong?."

"The one's who ran away were killed. But not him. He escaped. Just. And he never stopped running, drifting from place to place, living out a carefree life, trying to avoid the military. As far as I know, the Armstrong family don't like to speak of him, he might have said that his father disowned him. But boy, James was skilled..."

"Tell me about it," Ed said, holding up his glistening automail arm.

"Well, I don't think I can handle any more of this nostalgia." said Roy, as he returned to his desk. "Just wanted to check up on you, as far as I know you're not required for any duty. Dismissed" He finished with a "go away" hand gesture.

Ed left the office, and walked down the corridor to where Al was waiting for him "How did it go Brother?" he asked

"I don't know why we bothered coming here. It's been nothing but trouble, and he didn't even have anything for me. We're no closer to the stone eith-AAAAAAAAAAAGGGHH!!!!!!!!"

Ed felt immense pressure against his torso, as he was lifted high into the air. He looked down at what had grabbed him and saw a pair of rippling, pulsing arms. He looked around and was almost blinded by the pink sparkles that seemed to shine everywhere, and from the glare from the forehead of this man who had picked him up.

"Edward Elric!!! My muscles quiver in joy that we meet again today!"

"Hello..." Ed croaked "...major Armstrong..."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**1908-Ishval-Amestrian Military Encampment**

"I don't even know what I'm doing here..."

Isaac McDougal, the Ice Alchemist* sat down on a box of supplies, with the Amestrian Military coat of arms printed on the side. He adjusted his position, and gestured at a soldier to get him some water. The soldier nonchalantly threw a canteen at him. Isaac caught it, and began to swill the water around before taking a sip. He immediately spat it out. "Ugh, too warm" he said. He began to scratch away at the side of the metal canteen with a rock he picked up off the ground.

"My specialty is ice, and we're in the desert. You seeing the gap in the military logic here? We're in the desert folks. As in no H2O! No water, No alchemy."

"Cool down, freezer" said Roy Mustang, as he took off his beige coat and laid it on the ground. "So how was another day in the 7th circle of hell, guys?"

Mustang sat down amongst several other state alchemists. Isaac McDougal sat across from him, still scraping at his canteen. Solf J. Kimblee was lying down on the sand in what shade he could find, looking bored, whilst the Armstrong brothers, Alex and James were sat together, having an arm wrestling match.

"It was pretty rough out there today, Sparks" said James, as he held his brothers muscular arm firmly in place. Did you hear about old man Giolo?

"The Silver Alchemist?" Mustang replied. "No I didn't, what happened to him?"

"Lost his leg" Isaac McDougal responded, as he bashed the side of his canteen with his fist, and the transmutation circle he'd scrawled onto it activated, instantly freezing the water inside, and tearing apart the canteen in his hand as small pillars of ice shot out from it. "Damn," he said under his breath, "Overdid it."

Mustang winced as he heard what happened. "Poor guy...this war's taking its toll on all of us. Was anyone there when it happened?"

Alex Louis Armstrong answered "The Red Lotus Alchemist was."

"Oh, you should have heard the noise that he made when that Ishvalan ambushed him!"

Everybody looked at Kimblee, now sitting upright, as he continued "The sound of an old man screeching in excruciating pain as every ligament in his leg was torn, and the muscles let go of the bone. The bestial fury on that Ishvalan as he did the deed! Oh God, the look of petrified shock on the old mans face, screaming when his lungs no longer could,as if Death had appeared right in front of him! It was a symphony of carnage! That sound will haunt my dreams for a long time" Kimblee chuckled, with a look on his face that conveyed to those around him the level of sexual pleasure he derived from seeing others suffer.

"Shut your mouth Red!" James Silvio Armstrong yelled as he pushed his brothers arm over, winning the arm wrestling match, and causing Alex to almost fall off his chair.

"Not everyone shares your sick obsession with war!" He couldn't stand working with Kimblee. Killing was hard enough, without knowing that this guy got his kicks from it.

"The human body is beautiful. To see something like that get destroyed in wars like this...I can't stand it"

"Whoa there, Death God Alchemist! Nobody's forcing you to stay here" Kimblee replied with a smug expression. "Though...if you DO try and make a run for it, I can't promise I'll be as silent as I was with your brother..."

"I'm not leaving Red. I've got a job to do, and I'm gonna do it."

A soldier came running over to the amassed alchemists and saluted them. "I have a message for Lt. Colonel Armstrong, the Death God Alchemist?" James Silvio Armstrong raised his hand "Yessir, what's to be done!" he replied, seemingly forgetting about Kimblee's earlier remarks.

"I've been told to inform you that we have acquired 20 new sources. By order of General Gran, they are to be processed ASAP. You are free to take your 10%, but one you have processed the remaining, let the general know"

"Understood soldier. Dismissed" Both Armstrong and the soldier saluted each other, and the messenger left the group.

James bent down and picked up both of his beautifully crafted katanas, and took one in each hand. He held them in reverse, so the blades ran up the back of his arms.

"I'd better get going boys! As I said, I've got a job to do!" James said with a huge smile. Of all the military, James was known for his tonal shifts, his juxtaposition even rivalling Maes Hughes.

"Understood sir, no problem, they won't know..."

"Make sure they don't. What you are doing is admirable, but if it gets out, you might be in trouble."

"I just don't like seeing good sources go to waste..."

"Excellent attitude. How do you plan to use your 10%"

"Well if it were any of your business, which it isn't, I think I'll touch up my blades. The edge is going dull, it could use more diamond."

"Keep up the good work, Death God. We're glad for all you can give us..."


End file.
